London officials ban segregated play areas in future housing developments

[malaise]

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jul/19/london-officials-ban-segregated-play-areas-in-future-housing-developments
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Segregated play spaces are to be banned in all future London housing developments, the Greater London Authority (GLA) has revealed this week.

The policy, part of the London Plan for developers and local authorities across the city, follows outrage across the political spectrum at the case of the Lilian Baylis estate in Kennington. Guardian Cities reported that families living in the social housing side of the estate were not allowed to use the play area or any communal spaces on the development.

Henley Homes, the company that built the wall dividing the estate, have since removed it and last week paid for a party for all residents to apologise for the segregation.

Under the new policy developments, where there are a mix of tenures – private owners alongside “affordable” housing including shared ownership and social rented accommodation – developers will no longer be allowed to build play areas that are accessible only to people in the most expensive properties.

Sadiq Khan told the Guardian “it is disgraceful that children who live in the same development would ever be prevented from playing together”. He said he had told developers segregated development is morally unacceptable.